<p>Jerusalem - Israel’s military removed two soldiers from combat duty and placed them in military detention for 30 days after they destroyed a crucifix in southern Lebanon, it said on Tuesday.</p><p>A picture that showed an Israeli soldier taking the blunt side of an axe to a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross drew widespread condemnation on Monday from Israeli politicians, the United States and church leaders.</p><p>It was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who has also posted images of Israeli soldiers' apparent misconduct in Gaza.</p><p>A military statement said an investigation into the incident showed that one soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol, while another photographed the act. Six other soldiers had been present without taking action or interfering, according to the statement.</p>.Israel soldier desecrates crucifix in Lebanon, Netanyahu says actions went against Jewish values of tolerance.<p>The Israeli military said they were working with the local community to replace the statue.</p><p>Israel's Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, condemned the desecration of the statue as unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, according to the statement.</p><p>This type of punishment is relatively rare in the Israeli military, according to rights groups.</p><p>In 2025, the conflict-monitoring group Action on Armed Violence said they had found that Israel had closed down or left unresolved 88% of cases of alleged misconduct in Gaza and the West Bank.</p><p>In a recent case, charges were dropped against soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Gaza detainee.</p><p>Reuters verified the image as having been taken in Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained through an Israeli military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. The offensive began on March 2 after the group fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran.</p><p>Debel is one of dozens of villages in south Lebanon now under effective Israeli occupation. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire intended to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.</p><p>An Israeli official previously told Reuters that Christian villages in southern Lebanon had not been issued evacuation orders, unlike Shi'ite Muslim villages.</p><p>Lebanese lawmakers have expressed concern that Israeli actions may exacerbate sectarian tensions.</p><p>The Israeli military has been carrying out demolitions in villages in the south, saying it is acting against infrastructure belonging to Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah.</p>
<p>Jerusalem - Israel’s military removed two soldiers from combat duty and placed them in military detention for 30 days after they destroyed a crucifix in southern Lebanon, it said on Tuesday.</p><p>A picture that showed an Israeli soldier taking the blunt side of an axe to a fallen sculpture of Jesus on the cross drew widespread condemnation on Monday from Israeli politicians, the United States and church leaders.</p><p>It was posted by Younis Tirawi, a Palestinian reporter who has also posted images of Israeli soldiers' apparent misconduct in Gaza.</p><p>A military statement said an investigation into the incident showed that one soldier damaged a Christian religious symbol, while another photographed the act. Six other soldiers had been present without taking action or interfering, according to the statement.</p>.Israel soldier desecrates crucifix in Lebanon, Netanyahu says actions went against Jewish values of tolerance.<p>The Israeli military said they were working with the local community to replace the statue.</p><p>Israel's Chief of Staff, Eyal Zamir, condemned the desecration of the statue as unacceptable conduct and a moral failure, according to the statement.</p><p>This type of punishment is relatively rare in the Israeli military, according to rights groups.</p><p>In 2025, the conflict-monitoring group Action on Armed Violence said they had found that Israel had closed down or left unresolved 88% of cases of alleged misconduct in Gaza and the West Bank.</p><p>In a recent case, charges were dropped against soldiers accused of sexually abusing a Gaza detainee.</p><p>Reuters verified the image as having been taken in Debel, one of the few villages in southern Lebanon where residents remained through an Israeli military campaign against the Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia. The offensive began on March 2 after the group fired rockets at Israel in support of Iran.</p><p>Debel is one of dozens of villages in south Lebanon now under effective Israeli occupation. Israel and Lebanon agreed on Thursday to a U.S.-brokered ceasefire intended to halt fighting between Israel and Hezbollah.</p><p>An Israeli official previously told Reuters that Christian villages in southern Lebanon had not been issued evacuation orders, unlike Shi'ite Muslim villages.</p><p>Lebanese lawmakers have expressed concern that Israeli actions may exacerbate sectarian tensions.</p><p>The Israeli military has been carrying out demolitions in villages in the south, saying it is acting against infrastructure belonging to Shi'ite Muslim Hezbollah.</p>